Turkish Society of Nephrology: One in Every 7 Adults in Turkey Has Kidney Disease

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease in Turkey is steadily increasing. According to data from the Turkish Nephrology Society and the Ministry of Health, one in every seven adults in Turkey lives with chronic kidney disease. This indicates that approximately 10 million people are at risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

An important programme was organised to raise awareness on 12 March World Kidney Day. The event, organised by the Turkish Nephrology Society in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Ankara Family Medicine Association, was held under the sponsorship of Vantive. The programme was conducted at Ankara University İbni Sina Medical Faculty with strong participation.

The Majority of Patients Are Unaware of Their Disease
According to shared data, 94% of individuals with chronic kidney disease in Turkey live unaware of their condition. For this reason, the importance of early diagnosis and awareness-raising efforts is emphasised.

At the Health Policy Summit and Family Medicine Training Meeting held within the scope of the event, early diagnosis of chronic kidney disease, preventive health services and treatment methods were comprehensively addressed.

"More Than 10,000 Patients Start Dialysis Every Year"
Aydın Türkmen, President of the Turkish Nephrology Society, who delivered the opening remarks of the programme, drew attention to the increase in chronic kidney diseases and made the following assessment:

"As the Turkish Nephrology Society, we continue our efforts to raise public awareness and equip health professionals with the latest scientific knowledge. More than 10,000 patients start dialysis treatment every year in our country, and we are concerned about the steady increase in this number. For this reason, there is a need for long-term awareness-raising activities across the general population."

Experts Addressed Various Dimensions of Kidney Health
The Health Policy Summit was attended by health managers and experts such as Olgun Şener, Volkan Doğan and Erkan Ölçücüoğlu. The programme also brought important topics related to kidney health to the agenda:

-Increasing kidney transplantation

-Reducing salt consumption

-The relationship between obesity, diabetes and kidney disease

-Hypertension control

-Peritoneal dialysis applications

-Diabetic kidney disease

-Early diagnosis in chronic kidney disease

Home Dialysis Treatment Offers Patients a New Alternative
Fuat Çukadar, Country Manager of Vantive Turkey, who spoke at the event, noted that dialysis treatment is no longer limited to hospitals alone.

Çukadar, emphasising that home dialysis solutions significantly improve patients' quality of life, said:

"Home dialysis is no longer a dream; it is now part of the daily lives of thousands of patients. Thanks to the technologies we have developed, patients are able to continue working, travel and lead their daily lives more freely. Our aim is to integrate treatment into the patient's life."

According to experts, early diagnosis, healthy lifestyle habits and regular health check-ups play a critical role in preventing the progression of chronic kidney disease.